Supplement Mimics Calorie Restriction, Helps You Lose Weight

Many people are secretly hoping for a breakthrough discovery of a pill they can take that will replace the need to exercise and eat a healthy diet.

While that isn't likely to happen, some supplements can provide some — but not all — of the benefits of exercise and the right type of diet.

In the past, I’ve told you about how vitamin C can have some of the same beneficial effects on your body as exercise. But what about diet?

Turns out, there’s another nutrient that may give your body what it needs to shed a few pounds.

According to research published in the journal Cell Metabolism, there may be a way to mimic some of the advantages of calorie restriction without changing your eating habits at all.

Previous research has shown that resveratrol improves energy metabolism and mitochondrial function in animals. So researchers decided to test it in 11 obese men in a randomized, double-blind, 30-day crossover study.

The researchers found that the men who received 150 mg of resveratrol a day experienced significant reductions in their sleeping and resting metabolic rates and improved their mitochondrial respiration.

The resveratrol also had several positive effects on lipid levels, circulating glucose, triglycerides, alanine-aminotransferase, and inflammation. The participants’ systolic blood pressure went down, and so did their adipose tissue lipolysis and plasma fatty acid and glycerol levels.

What's interesting is that these metabolic improvements mimic those typically seen with calorie restriction. However, the participants didn't make any changes to their diets. All they did was take resveratrol.

However, these results don't mean you can just take a supplement and your health problems will disappear, particularly if you're dealing with obesity. If you continue to overeat, you will continue to gain weight, no matter how many supplements you take. It's important to make sure you're eating an appropriate amount for optimal health.

Still, you can complement the effects of a good diet by taking resveratrol, which you can find online and at any health food store. It's a great way to supercharge your efforts to take control of your metabolic health.